• • • JIM HALSEY • • • BRANDON SWITZER • • •

like a superstition , but we just don ’ t talk about numbers or what it ’ s going to run or anything . Everybody is expected to do their job and everybody counts on the next person doing their job . And it works really , really well .”

That ’ s not to say it ’ s not a fun team to be around . The whole group gets along well and enjoys a nice meal and a couple cold drinks together at the end of the night when racing is done for the day . But from the time they get to the track in the morning until the car is ready to be buttoned up for the night , it ’ s all business .

“ When we race together , it ’ s just like you walked into work ,” Switzer says . “ It ’ s just like me walking into my shop with my guys here . You don ’ t need to tell them , they all know what to do . They make the right decision . There ’ s never a guess of ‘ How would this guy do this ?’ or

‘ What would he think ?’ or whatever . Anyone here knows because there ’ s one correct way of doing it or handling it .”

A lot of the team ’ s success over the last few years can be attributed to this business-like mindset . Everyone involved is laser-focused on being better than they were the last round , or better yet , better than the guy in the other lane in the next round . In several occasions , the result has been a new E . T . or speed record or another winner ’ s circle photo to hang on the shop wall .

“ A lot of people race to have fun ,” Switzer begins . “ Well , our position on that is losing isn ’ t fun . So the only way we ’ re going to have any fun is to win . Racing isn ’ t fun . Losing sucks . Winning is fun for five minutes . Those big things last five minutes , then it ’ s out of your mind . And the next thing is , ‘ OK , who ’ s going to kick our ass next ? What do we have to do to be better ?’ You can ’ t get complacent .”

This dynamic works so well because Halsey and Switzer are on the same page . Nitrous racing at the sport ’ s highest levels is Switzer ’ s business , and while it isn ’ t technically Halsey ’ s business , it becomes his business when he gets to the track . He ’ s there to beat the best and to be the best , an M . O . that perfectly aligns with Switzer ’ s mindset when it comes to business .

“ Jimmy runs his race team and holds himself to the same standards I do in my business ,” Switzer says . “ It is unbelievably important to me that we are the best at what we do , that we hold the records , that we do all these things , and we will do whatever we have to do to crush our competition in business .”

“ We both have the same work ethic ,” Halsey adds . “ Daylight to dark , seven days a week , we always try and improve our program , whether it be race cars or pouring concrete or whatever .”

The qualities that have made Halsey and Switzer successful in their respective businesses play into the race program , especially when it comes to acting decisively and independently as leaders .

“ Jimmy and I are very , very , very much the same ,” Switzer says . “ So you would think it would be a conflict , but it doesn ’ t because it ’ s not that

kind of relationship . We ’ re both leaders . We both make decisions . We don ’ t want to follow anything else . But he ’ s doing one side of things , I ’ m doing another side .”

Switzer is able to hone in on tuning the car without having to worry about Halsey throwing it all away with a bad light , while Halsey can focus on doing his part to make the perfect run with the utmost confidence in the car making it to the finish line under power .

“ Not one time has he ever gone up to the starting line and I say , ‘ Jimmy , man , you really got to be on the tree .’ It ’ s expected ,” Switzer asserts . “ I expect that from him . And he expects the car to run the best car can possibly run .”

This mutual understanding benefits Switzer in more ways than one . He ’ s able to make tuning calls without outside influence , plus he knows Halsey will pilot the car with a precise driving style that only years of experience can produce .

SWITZER AND HIS WIFE , MELISSA , ARE JOINED BY A SMALL GROUP OF EMPLOYEES AT SWITZER DYNAMICS , A STATE-OF-THE-ART MACHINE SHOP AND MANUFACTURING FACILITY . THE TEAM INCLUDES ( FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ) DAN CARVER , DARRELL LAIL , AND HUNTER DEVERS .

“ Flat out , Jim is just a badass driver , period ,” Switzer says . “ He is mechanical . He doesn ’ t have opinions . Ninety-nine percent of the time , he doesn ’ t ask me a single question , not from day one has he ever . He goes up to the starting line having no idea what ’ s going to happen , never even asks . And that affects somebody in my shoes a certain way .”

It continues after the run , as Halsey can provide feedback that even the best data loggers can ’ t offer .

“ We think a lot alike ,” Halsey says . “ We talk the same language . After a run , I can tell him what I think the car felt like . And it usually is about the same as what he ’ s thinking it should have done . We ’ ve both been doing it for a long time . We both have the same lingo , I guess you could say .”

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

be considered two of the last remaining major barriers in nitrous Pro Mod racing , at least for the time being , they ’ re left to look

72 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 165